that they cannot, or will not fee any Tokens of Divine Wisdom and Goodnefs in each of thefe Wonders; Let them again contemplate fome of them with us, and return to Tab. XV. Fig. 1.

Let them then suppose, that upon the Globe WKRS, there dwell a Number of Men and other Creatures, in the Structure and Compofition of each of which there appears, as has been fhewn before, an amazing Skill and Contrivance.

Let them next own, as it is true, that unless the Earth CXYT were moiften'd with Water, and that fresh too, the faid Earth would be entirely barren, and all the living Creatures upon it would perifh with Hunger and Thirft; and tho' an abundant Procreation might feem capable of making good the Lofs, yet not one of their Young could live a Month after it was brought forth.

Let them confider that thofe great Seas and vaft and deep Lakes CWS, how great a Quantity foever of Water they may contain, would not be able to render the smallest Tract of Land fruitful; nor to afford to one fingle Man or Beast fo much Drink as were neceffary to keep them alive, by reason of their Saltnefs.

Can they then in this difmal State of Affairs imagine, that it is by Chance, and without any Wisdom, that fuch a glorious Body as the Sun, befides the Light and Warmth it communicates to us, does alfo render us this Service, that the Waters of the Sea at P, being rarified by its Beams, are exhaled and afcend in Vapours to g and F; and leaving their Salts behind them for other Ufes, do compofe the Clouds, F, I, G, Kd, above in the Air; which falling down again in Rains or Fogs, in Dews, Hail or Snow, afford a fresh and fertilizing Moisture to the Earth, and Drink to Men and Beasts?

Can

Can he daily fee this Afcent of watry Vapours, and fay, that it is performed by Chance and without Wisdom? Notwithstanding the Manner by which 'tis brought about is allowed to be wonderful by the greatest Naturalifts, fuch as thofe learned Perfons, Dr. Halley and Mr. Mariotte, who are not afhamed to acknowledge the Weakness of their Understanding in that Matter, and so must every one befides. And yet all this great Preparation would have been in vain, if a certain fluid Matter, which we call Air, had not been placed round the Globe at BAD.

But that which here feems to prove undeniably the Being of a GOD, is, that notwithstanding the terrestrial Globe be thus furrounded with Air, and that the Sun does continually fhine upon the Sea and the Rivers, yet there would fcarce arife from thence the fmalleft Vapours, if the faid Air were as thin and as much rarified below at FP, as it is above between B and F; and on the contrary, if the Air were as thick above between B and F, as we now find it between P and F, few or none of the exhaled Vapours would ever defcend in Rain or Dews, but floating in the Air, like Oil upon Water, would continue there; in which cafe alfo the whole Earth would be dried up, and every thing living perifh with Thirft.

Let me now again ask these miferable Philofophers, whether they can imagine, that all thefe things are thus difpofed by mere Chance, and without a View towards any End? And that the Air, by its Weight and Elafticity, becoming more compreffed and thicker below than above, was thus difpofed with refpect to the exhal'd watry Particles, that the Vapours would be feldom or never in an equiponderating State therein, before they be rais'd to the Height of the Clouds For K. Whereas otherwife, in cafe the Air

were

were of the fame Thinness at P, or just above the Earth, as it is higher at F, to say nothing of the Diftempers which would be occafion'd thereby, the continual cloudy Weather, Fogs, and Mifts, would take away, or at least embarrass the Use of our Sight.

To add one thing more; Is it brought about by ignorant Causes, and without Knowledge and Forefight, that whereas fo many other Kinds of Salts are incomparably lighter than Water, yet the Sea-falt is heavier? which would otherwise, by afcending along with the Vapours, render all the Waters of Rain and Rivers useless and unneceffary, both to living Creatures and Plants. Is it by Chance that the Sun is placed at juft fuch a Distance from the Globe, as to be able by its Warmth to caufe the Waters to afcend in Vapours; and yet not fo near as to finge and burn up thofe tender Plants which received their Nourishment and Increase from thofe Waters, and do chiefly confift thereof?

Have the Sun, the Sea, the Air, and the Salt, met one another in fo fmall a Corner of the World, which, with regard to the whole Extent thereof, is but a Point; I fay, have they thus met by mere Chance, in order to furnish all the Inhabitants of the Earth with Meat and Drink? Is it owing to ignorant Causes, that they are endowed with fo many neceffary Qualities as have been before enumerated, and as are required for this only Purpofe? If this be not fufficient; if no other Causes concurred, in order to water the Earth with the Vapours defcending from the Air, than the Lightnefs and Thinness of the said Air, or the Winds that drive them together, it is plain to every body, that all the Parts of the Earth, without any Difference, would be equally water'd; and that the Sea, which has no Occafion for these Vapours,

as

as well as thofe other Parts of the World which for want of them would be uninhabitable, would each receive their Share; and it may be, thofe that least want them would enjoy the moft.

Once more, let thofe Philofophers with whom we have here to do, judge themselves, whether it be owing to mere Chance, that to the end that thofe Countries which stand in moft need of being water'd may enjoy a greater Share than others, fuch great Bodies as the Ridges of Hills and Mountains are placed in or near the fame. The Ufe of which, as has been faid before, is to intercept the watry Vapours floating in the Air, to collect them in a particular manner upon their Summits or Tops, to derive them down from thence, and fo to furnish such a Quantity of Water as may compofe the requifite Brooks and Rivers which contribute fo much to the Benefit of the Earth and the Inhabitants thereof; and which running down from these Hills, from whence they derive their Source and Beginning, they moiften the furrounding Lands, which would otherwise be barren thro' Heat and Drought, and render them fit to fupport their Inhabitants with Meat and Drink.

To say nothing here of the Number of Fishes and other Productions in thefe Waters, by the Help of which the People thro' whofe Countries they flow, can communicate their Fruits and Merchandizes to each other.

SECT. XXXVIII. The Mountains collect watry Vapours, firft by the Winds.

HERE We seem to have a proper Occafion to enquire into the Manner and Causes, how and why the Mountains are able to collect fuch a vast Quantity of Waters, to the End that what has

been

been faid before upon this Subject may be the more clearly understood.

How the Vapours are raised from the Sea from P to g and F, (Tab. XV. Fig. 1.) by the Warmth of the Sun (and under the Poles, by Cold too perhaps,) has already, in fome manner, been endeavour'd to be fhewn; as alfo how they are enabled to float in thin Air, as in different Stages and Degrees of Height, as g, K, d and F, I, G; and inoreover, why the faid Vapours, being raised higher up to Z by the Winds, or driven against one another by contrary Winds, and for other Reasons, do defcend in Rain, Snow, and the like.

Dr. Halley fubjoins another Manner to thefe; namely, that a floating Vapour or Cloud in E, being driven against the Mountain QNR, by the Winds at E, afcends to the Top N, and there being got into a lighter Air, cannot be any longer fuftain'd, but falls down in fmall Drops upon the Head of the Mountain, and from thence running down, fill the Cavities of the Mountains (which are supposed to be there, and fo are often found to be,) with Water; which running continually thro' the Orifice M, produces the little Brook Me T, or MeV; which joining themselves with others of the like Nature, form a large River.

A

It appears by this way why the Waters are affembled in greater Quantities upon the Mountains, forafmuch as oppofing their Tops from QR to N, against the Winds which drive the Clouds mE, Kd, &c. they ferve for Barricado's or cross Trees, and fo do either force the Vapours to afcend into a lighter Air, or forcing them againft thofe Tops squeeze them together, whereby they become heavy and fall down again.

SECT.